Network element with dual independent sub network elements with seamless failover

Abstract

A system that provides communication services may include two switches for redundancy. The switches may indicate that they are independent devices to upstream devices and indicate that they are the same device to a predetermined device set. If one of the switches enters an undesired state, then the switch in a standby state may modify the upstream devices to preferentially forward packets directed toward the predetermined device set to the standby switch rather than an active switch, and after transitioning the active switch to the standby state, transition the standby switch to the active state.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A redundant switch that provides communication services to a predetermined device set and upstream devices, comprising:
 a physical network side traffic manager that facilitates communications between the redundant switch and the upstream devices; 
 a predetermined device set traffic manager that exclusively facilitates second communications between the redundant switch and the predetermined device set, wherein the predetermined device set comprises a first device, wherein the redundant switch is connected to the first device by a single physical connection over which the communication services are provided between the redundant switch and the first device, wherein packets transmitted from the first device to the redundant switch are only received via the single physical connection and are processed by the predetermined device set traffic manager prior to being processed by either a first physical switch or a second physical switch; 
 the first physical switch, interposed between the predetermined device set traffic manager and the physical network side traffic manager, that:
 provides switching services between the network side traffic manager and the predetermined device set traffic manager, 
 indicates to the upstream devices that the first physical switch is an independent device, and 
 indicates to the predetermined device set that the first physical switch and the second physical switch are a same device; and 
 
 the second physical switch, interposed between the predetermined device set traffic manager and the network side traffic manager, that:
 provides second switching services between the network side traffic manager and the predetermined device set traffic manager, 
 indicates to the upstream devices that the second physical switch is an independent device, and 
 indicates to the predetermined device set that the second physical switch and the first physical switch are the same device; 
 
 wherein the second physical switch is programmed to:
 obtain information regarding a status of the first physical switch while the first physical switch is in an active state and the second physical switch is in a standby state; 
 make a determination that the status is undesired; 
 in response to the determination:
 transition:
 the first physical switch from the active state to a remediation state, and 
 the second physical switch from the standby state to the active state; and 
 
 transition the first physical switch from the remediation state to the standby state after the status of the first physical switch is remediated to a desired status. 
 
 
 
     
     
       2. The redundant switch of  claim 1 ,
 wherein, while in the active state, the first physical switch forwards first received packets from the predetermined device set, and 
 wherein, while in the standby state, the second physical switch receives but does not forward the first received packets from the predetermined device set. 
 
     
     
       3. The redundant switch of  claim 2 ,
 wherein, while in the active state, the first physical switch forwards second received packets from the upstream devices, and 
 wherein, while in the standby state, the second physical switch observes the second received packets from the upstream devices. 
 
     
     
       4. The redundant switch of  claim 1 , wherein transitioning the first physical switch from the active state to the remediation state and the second physical switch from the standby state to the active state comprises:
 initiating forwarding of packets directed toward the predetermined device set to the first physical switch; 
 after initiating the forwarding, modifying the upstream devices to preferentially forward packets directed toward the predetermined device set to the second physical switch rather than the first physical switch; 
 after the upstream devices are modified: 
 modifying the predetermined device set traffic manager to forward packets from the predetermined device set to the second physical switch rather than the first physical switch; and 
 initiating forwarding of packets from the predetermined device set traffic manager and directed toward the upstream devices to the upstream devices. 
 
     
     
       5. The redundant switch of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined device set traffic manager is disposed between the first physical switch and the predetermined device set, wherein the predetermined device set traffic manager is adapted to operate in accordance with at least three states:
 while in a first state, forward packets destined to upstream devices to only the first physical switch; 
 while in a second state, forward the packets destined to upstream devices to only the second physical switch; and 
 while in a third state, forward the packets destined to upstream devices to both the first physical switch and the second physical switch. 
 
     
     
       6. The redundant switch of  claim 1 , wherein the network side traffic manager is disposed between the first physical switch and the upstream devices, wherein the network side traffic manager is adapted to forward all packets directed toward the predetermined device set to both the first physical switch and the second physical switch. 
     
     
       7. The redundant switch of  claim 1 , wherein transitioning the first physical switch from the remediation state to the standby state comprises:
 initiating performance of an action set to remediate the first physical switch; 
 after the first physical switch is remediated, updating the first physical switch to prevent the first physical switch from forwarding any packets received from the predetermined device set traffic manager; and 
 after the first physical switch is updated, reconfiguring the predetermined device set traffic manager to forward all packets from the predetermined device set to the first physical switch and the second physical switch. 
 
     
     
       8. The redundant switch of  claim 7 , wherein updating the first physical switch comprises programming the first physical switch to drop all packets from the predetermined device set. 
     
     
       9. The redundant switch of  claim 1 , wherein the first physical switch and the second physical switch are both adapted to forward packets, destined for the predetermined device set, using a same virtual media access control address to indicate that the first physical switch and the second physical switch are the same device. 
     
     
       10. The redundant switch of  claim 9 , wherein the first physical switch indicates that it is an independent device by advertising as being different from the second physical switch to the upstream devices, wherein the second physical switch indicates that is an independent device by advertising as being different from the first physical switch to the upstream devices. 
     
     
       11. A method for providing communication services using a redundant switch to a predetermined device set and upstream devices, comprising:
 indicating, by at least two physical switches interposed between a predetermined device set traffic manager and a physical network side traffic manager, the at least two physical switches executing within the redundant switch, wherein packets transmitted from the predetermined device set to the redundant switch are processed by the predetermined device set traffic manager prior to being processed by either of the at least two physical switches:
 that the at least two physical switches are independent devices from a perspective of the upstream devices, and 
 that the at least two physical switches are a same device from a perspective of the predetermined device set; 
 
 obtaining information regarding a status of a first physical switch of the at least two physical switches while the first physical switch is in an active state and a second physical switch of the at least two physical switches is in a standby state,
 wherein, while in the active state, the first physical switch provides packet forwarding services for the predetermined device set and, 
 wherein, while in the standby state, the second physical switch does not provide the packet forwarding services for the predetermined device set; 
 
 making a determination that the status is undesired; 
 in response to the determination:
 transitioning:
 the first physical switch from the active state to a remediation state, and 
 the second physical switch from the standby state to the active state; and 
 
 transitioning the first physical switch from the remediation state to the standby state after the status of the first switch is remediated to a desired status. 
 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein transitioning the first physical switch from the active state to the remediation state and the second physical switch from the standby state to the active state comprises:
 initiating, by the second physical switch, forwarding of packets directed toward the predetermined device set to the first physical switch; 
 after initiating the forwarding, modifying the upstream devices to preferentially forward packets directed toward the predetermined device set to the second physical switch rather than the first physical switch; 
 after the upstream devices are modified, modifying, by the second physical switch, the predetermined device set traffic manager to forward packets from the predetermined device set to the second physical switch rather than the first physical switch; and 
 initiating, by the second physical switch, forwarding of packets from the predetermined device set traffic manager and directed toward the upstream devices to the upstream devices. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 11 , wherein transitioning the first physical switch from the remediation state to the standby state comprises:
 initiating performance of an action set to remediate the first physical switch; 
 after the first physical switch is remediated, updating the first physical switch to prevent the first physical switch from forwarding any packets received from the predetermined device set traffic manager; and 
 after the first physical switch is updated, reconfiguring the predetermined device set traffic manager to forward all packets from the predetermined device set to the first physical switch and the second physical switch. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , wherein updating the first physical switch comprises programming the first physical switch to drop all packets from the predetermined device set. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first physical switch and the second physical switch are both adapted to forward packets, destined for the predetermined device set, using a same virtual media access control address to indicate that the at least two physical switches are the same device. 
     
     
       16. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable program code, which when executed by a computer processor enables the computer processor to perform a method for providing communication services to a predetermined device set and upstream devices, the method comprising:
 indicating, by at least two physical switches interposed between a predetermined device set traffic manager and a physical network side traffic manager disposed within the redundant switch, wherein packets transmitted from the predetermined device set to the redundant switch are processed by the predetermined device set traffic manager prior to being processed by either of the at least two physical switches:
 that the at least two physical switches are independent devices to the upstream devices by having each of the at least two physical switches advertise separate distinguishable reachability information to the upstream devices, and 
 that the at least two physical switches are a same device to the predetermined device set by having the at least two physical switches use a common virtual media access control address when forwarding packets to the predetermined device set; 
 
 obtaining information regarding a status of a first switch of the at least two physical switches while the first switch is in an active state and a second switch, of the at least two physical switches and that provides packet switching redundancy for the first switch, is in a standby state; 
 making a determination that the status matches a predetermined status; 
 in response to the determination:
 transitioning:
 the first switch to the standby state, in part, by modifying the upstream devices to preferentially forward packets intended to be directed toward the predetermined device set through the first switch to the second switch rather than the first switch, and 
 after transitioning the first switch to the standby state, the second switch to the active state. 
 
 
 
     
     
       17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein transitioning the first physical switch from the active state to the standby state and the second physical switch from the standby state to the active state comprises:
 prior to modifying the upstream devices, initiating, by the second physical switch, forwarding of packets directed toward the predetermined device set to the first physical switch; 
 after the upstream devices are modified, modifying, by the second physical switch, the predetermined device set traffic manager to forward packets from the predetermined device set to the second physical switch rather than the first physical switch; and 
 initiating, by the second physical switch, forwarding of packets from the predetermined device set traffic manager and directed toward the upstream devices to the upstream devices. 
 
     
     
       18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein transitioning the first physical switch to the standby state further comprises:
 initiating performance of an action set to remediate the first physical switch; after the first physical switch is remediated, updating the first physical switch to prevent the first physical switch from forwarding any packets received from the predetermined device set traffic manager; 
 and after the first physical switch is updated, reconfiguring the predetermined device set traffic manager to forward all packets from the predetermined device set to the first physical switch and the second physical switch. 
 
     
     
       19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein updating the first physical switch comprises programming the first physical switch to drop all packets from the predetermined device set. 
     
     
       20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the first physical switch and the second physical switch are both adapted to forward packets, destined for the predetermined device set, using a same virtual media access control address to indicate that the at least two physical switches are the same device.